Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1891 — THE FLOODS IN SPAIN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE FLOODS IN SPAIN.

WHOLE TOWNS AND VILLAGES DESTROYED. Unusual Weather Conditions In Europe— Millions of Dollars* Worth of Vines and Frnlt Trees Destroyed in the Spanish Peninsula—Cattle ami Granaries Swept Away. *Twas a Deluge. While in the northwestern portion of the United States, and throughout all that section of America lying west of the Mississippi River, the fall of 1891 was one of unusually dry weather, reports from the Spanish peninsula tell of destructive floods by which whole villages and towns have been destroyed, the crops ruined and hundreds of lives lost. The weather conditions in Europe, says the Chicago Graphic, like those of the United States since last autumn, have been unusual. While last winter on this side of the Atlantic was unusually mild, on the opposite side of the ocean it was the reverse, and during the entire year the reverse of the weather in the United States has almost uniformly prevailed in Europe. Consuegra, a town of 7„C00 population, sixty miles from the capital of the kingdom of Spain, was almost entirely drowned by heavy rains lasting from Sept. 13 to 18, and the overflow of the mountain streams which run through the valley in which it is located. The storm extended over nearly the entire peninsula and w r as of unexampled violence. America has been supposed to be the home of the cyclone of recent years, but the storm in Spain outrivals the most severe cyclones of Kansas and the great Southwest. The grape harvest was ripe and ready for the gathering, as were also the olive and other crops upon which the Spanish peasant depends for his livelihood. Millions of dollars’ worth

of laden vines and fruit trees were totally destroyed, and cattle and granaries were swept away. In Consuegra alone 4,000 cattle were drowned, and their decaying carcasses, lodged among the debris of the houses, are a menace to the lives of the survivors, who, aided by a large corps of engineers and soldiers, are rapidly recovering and giving burial to the unfortunate victims of the disaster. In many cases entire families and their relatives have been drowned, and their lands, which have reverted to the state, are to be re-sown and harvested for the benefit of the people of the valley who have lost their all. the labor, implements and seed l»eing provided by the Government. Many of the interior provinces were cut off from the rest of the world, being entirely surrounded by water, bridges over the streams having been 6wept away. The local stock of food in those provinces was almost entirely exhausted, and the sanitary and relief corps were unable to reach them. The government has done all within its power for the relief of the sufferers. The Bank of Spain and numerous private banks have donated a large fund, and an appeal to cit izens of other portions of the kingdom has met with generous response. Queen Christina personally superintended the government relief, herself heading a public subscription of charity with a large' donation. The Palace of Aranguez, which is near the old city of Toledo, just north of the flooded districts, was thrown open as an asylum for the refugees from the flooded provinces, and sev-’ eral hundred homeless people are being cared for there at public expense until some provision can be made for them. In Valencia, Andalusia and Almeira 4,000 people were rendered homeless, and in Saragossa, Malaga and Murcia the crops were totally destroyed. The Turia, Magro and Jucar Rivers spread far beyond their banks and totally destroyed the valuable

rice crops planted in the lowlands, and the town of Alcira suffered heavy losses. In many places there were serious washouts along the railroad tracks, causing the almost total suspension of railroad traffic. The Illustrated News of the World, from which our illustrations are taken, speaking of the floods at Consuegra, says: “The province of New Castile, which is the middle and metropolitan province of the kingdom, including both Madrid and 'Toledo, with the Tagus flowing across it from east to west, rises south of Toledo into a labyrinth of high bare ridges descending to the river Guadiana, bevond which is the open tableland of La Mancha, Don Quixote's home, a poor and sterile district. Among those highland valleys, some thirty miles from the city of Toledo, is that of the Armarguillo, a small river, encompassed on all sides by mountains: the sole outlet for waters from this

I —■— basin Is at R* eastern extremity, be* low Madndejos. In this valley gtooti the doomed town of Consuegra, built along both river banks the length of a mile. The storm prevailing had driven everybody indoors and prevented notice being taken of the rising of the river—which at nightfall was in its normal channel—in time for a general alarm. The heavy rainfall in the mountains, operating over the whole watershed of the

Armaguillo, in three hours turned the river into a lake, which covered the whole middle portion of Consuegra to a depth of 20 feet along the banks, and the width of three quarters of a mile. The majority of the houses were built with mud walls, which offered no protection against the water. All the houses along the bank for a distance of 150 feet on each side were cither wrecked or washed completely awav. The inmates could not escape, but the approach of death was slow and gradual in that dreadful night. Whole families perished together; in one house twen-ty-eight persons were drowned. In the morning, where the town had

been there was a dirty yellow lake, with the roofs and tottering walls ol a few houses yet standing, and with a raging current that bore down masses of wreckage and dead human bodies and the carcasses of oxen, mules and other animals. The destruction of property at Consuegra alone is estimated at £400,000. In the valley ol the Amaguillo, every other town and village on the banks of that river was flooded to a depths of two feet to six

feet, and for some days there was no communication except by boats.” Among the incidents related of the flood are the following: At Consuegra there is a monastery of Franciscan monks. This and the church attached were flooded. Rescuing what was most important from the church, they waded out with water up to their necks, and then set to work and aided the townspeople, working unceasingly, going to places where

few others would venture, and, lastly, began to bury the dead. One officer in the army, who had gone to Consuega on sick leave, is said to have saved no less than seventy lives, though wounded three times in the attempt; at last he nearly fainted. Poor fellow! with much difficulty he had saved up 4,000 pesetas (4!160i during his career. All this was, with his belongings, in a box which was swept away by the flood. A poor shepherd in the neighborhood rescued twenty-three people. A man servant was shut up by the waters in a house with twelve other persons. He bravely swam out, and made a raft, saving the rest. After this he went elsewhere, and rescued three children. Wearied out, he would fain have rested, but a man on a roof near, which was expected every moment to fall, implored his aidt At the risk of his life, he swam out and brought him safely back. Many other heroic acts were performed.

ALCIRA, ON THE RIVER JUCAR.

THE STONE BRIDGE AT SARAGOSSA.

RONDA, NEAR MALAGA.

THE PORT OF MALAGA.